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Cheatham school board postpones vote on Leeland Station purchase

Rather than voting whether to fund its share of the $1.3 million land purchase to relocate the district’s bus garage, among other county uses, the Cheatham County School Board recessed its meeting until Monday to consider further information.

Cheatham school board postpones vote on Leeland Station purchase

Rather than voting whether to fund its share of the $1.3 million land purchase to relocate the district’s bus garage, among other county uses, the Cheatham County School Board recessed meeting until Monday to consider further information.

The board was slated to take a vote at its meeting March 5, where officials decided instead to take time to consider further information — including at a work session March 12 at 6 p.m. — before resuming the meeting to vote March 12 at 7:30 p.m.

“We’re getting some conflicting information,” board member Jennifer Hamblin said at the March 5 meeting. “I’m just feeling a little rushed…I just think we need time to make sure we bring the best decision for the county and city.”

Cheatham County Mayor Kerry McCarver said at a Feb. 26 county commission meeting that sometimes, the "best interest of the city may not be the best interest of the county."

Hamblin said she believes all “players” involved should have been brought in on the consideration at the same time; McCarver initially contacted an Ashland City realtor about available properties — which included Leeland Station, among other, smaller options — a few months ago.

Chairwoman Kim Messer agreed that she felt “rushed” to vote to approve more than $433,000 to fund the school's third of the project, and other board members also pointed out questions they felt went unanswered at that time.

“I know this is a very contentious situation” for some, Messer acknowledged.

Ashland City Mayor Rick Johnson and County Commissioner Gary Binkley both spoke in opposition of the project at the board meeting. Some members of the public also voiced concerns, and one spoke in support of the purchase.

Despite public opposition and various questions raised over the past few weeks, the Cheatham County Commission voted Feb. 26 in favor of purchasing the 57.5-acre tract in Ashland City in a 7-5 vote. The intended use of the land is to relocate the district’s bus garage and the county highway department, as well as to construct a new jail, a longtime-coming issue for the county.

The commission scheduled a meeting Wednesday at 8 p.m. to approve the school board’s funding decision prior to the anticipated Thursday closing.

Kelly Fisher, reporter for the Ashland City Times, can be reached at KPFisher@gannett.com, 615-801-3866 or on Twitter at @KellyPFisher.